Free Agency and Open Teams

[Providence A's]

I would love to hear some viable solutions that keep the league fair for all teams.

Contraction is not an option for a few reasons. Contracting teams would throw off the league totals and settings. Contracting teams is a huge pain in the ass for me as it requires manually renaming files of teams otherwise the individual teams reports won't match. We can't contract every time we have an open or inactive-to-open team.

Open teams not participating at all is unfair to those teams and makes them even more unattractive to potential GMs. It also results in only a few active teams participating and gobbling up all of the FAs, which is worse IMHO.

The open teams already aren't involved in trading, while the human teams are. So they're already at a disadvantage really. I think trading with open teams leads to more issues than allowing them to participate in 3 days of FA.

Having other GMs or myself make offers for open teams is a conflict of interest. It could lead to bigger issues between GMs and resentment / constant questioning as to why they did what they did. This is also worse than letting the CPU handle it.

So where does that leave us? What other options are there besides letting the CPU make offers on the first day of the period like the human teams? Post any ideas so we can discuss them going forward. Porter suggested not letting them participate in period 1. My concern with that is that again, it leads to only the few really active teams to snatch up FAs potentially.

I really don't know what else to do. As I've stated over and over again since I restarted TSSL, I'm trying to make the league fair for everyone.

[Impossibles]

The way you've handled it is the best way imo.

A couple questions though...

Is contraction really totally off the table? A one-time contraction of 2 teams and maybe a realignment back to 2 divisions would be a headache once. The dispersal draft could be interesting with some sort of snake draft system/expansion draft. Might liven things up a bit?

Second Q...could you enter the human FA offers after the original CPU offers are submitted?

[Providence A's]

Q1: I contracted once already. Milwaukee and the Dodgers got contracted. My main concern with contraction is that it would mess up the league totals and settings. I had to tweak them after I contracted the first time. And it results in a lot of tedious work for me outside of the game. I have to dive in the program files and rename a ton of files or else the league site will be messed up.

Q2: The CPU doesn't make any offers until I sim. There is no way for the game to make offers before you sim. I have to enter the human offers before I sim. That's just how the game works.

[HollywoodLeo]

I think there are really only two sensible options here, and I'd be fine with either.

1. Keep doing it the way you've been doing

or

2. Don't let the computer make offers at all

Contraction already happened. Even if it didn't come with the extra work for you and it just required you to push a couple buttons I still wouldn't like it. The league is already small enough and I wouldn't like the likely 4-team playoffs that'd probably result.

Letting a human input computer offers shouldn't even be considered IMO. Too much room for perceived bias.

While I agree that the way you're doing it is best, I don't really think 2 is as bad as you're making it out so long as the majority of the lague is filled. If there are only a few inactive teams then the remaining teams still provides for competition.

[Saber]

I think the CPU teams should be allowed to make offers to free agents, after which I should be allowed the the exclusive option to offer more.

It's the only way.

[Kingdom]

I'm for the computer not making offers. I've hated it ever since it was started in Hybrid. And I don't know if I would support contraction options for the reasons PA has explained.

[Providence A's]

I never know what the CPU offers are until if/when the sign a player. It won't even let me view it in the FA screens where I make the human offers. I can click on the tab that allows you to view offers, but it's always blank for the CPU.

[Providence A's]

For now I am going to turn CPU off for the open teams. I'll just have to monitor them myself and try not to to let them go to hell. They won't be involved in FA. They won't be involved in trades. They'll just be there.

Please post any other suggestions.

[HollywoodLeo]

Another suggestion would be to have it on for round 1, but not for the rest of free agency.

The CPU gets what they get from the start and it's fair game for active teams from there.

Just throwing out other ideas...and I guess that's what you end up doing this year anyway

[HollywoodLeo]

Or turn it on round 2 so active teams get the first crack.

[Kingdom]

Or round 3. [scratches chin]

[OrioleMagic]

I'm for the computer not making offers. I've hated it ever since it was started in Hybrid. And I don't know if I would support contraction options for the reasons PA has explained.

The CPU was never used in Hybrid. For sure when I was commish, and I'm almost certain General never did it either. Provie is the only Commish that I can think of who did this in an effort to keep the open teams attractive and competitive. I applaud the intent. Unfortunately, it seems it gives the AI the last bid.

For now I am going to turn CPU off for the open teams. I'll just have to monitor them myself and try not to to let them go to hell. They won't be involved in FA. They won't be involved in trades. They'll just be there.

Please post any other suggestions.

I agree with this. In Hybrid, I only did extensions for the open teams and only for young MLB starters or better. 32 year olds went to the FA pool as well as all average players. I also skipped open teams in the draft to make the pool more attractive to the active GMs. To compensate for this, I was very liberal with the open teams players in my BALCO Lab and when a new GM came, I would make those players much more attractive... at least a core of MLB players and a couple stud prospects. This kept the open teams out of contention and really made a 16 active team league even though we had 24 teams. It did require PMs with the new GM letting him know what the team was going to look like... and on occasion I may have allowed that new GM to craft his team makeup somewhat, like if he wanted a superstud pitching prospect instead of something else.

I am not saying my way is the best way. Provie is doing a great job running this league and I respect his desire to make it unique and as fair as possible.

With that said, I would prefer to shut off the CPU, but if we continue with the one day only option, I will not gripe.... (unless I lose a potential stud to a CPU team by a small amount... 'tis natural to cuss when you stub your toe... etc.)

I appreciate the way this is being handled. Good discussion...

[Prez WilCo]

I like shutting them off for 1st round then turning it on. Giving human GMs the first shot..

[HollywoodLeo]

General did it. I remember questioning an Alaska signing

[Kingdom]

I should have said GHSL. >_>